Guitar String Names and Numbers: The Complete Reference

1 The Six Strings: Names and Numbers

Every guitarist needs to know the names and numbers of all six strings as instinctively as they know their own name. This knowledge is the foundation for tuning, reading tablature, understanding chord diagrams, and communicating with other musicians. If someone says "play the 5th fret on the A string," you need to know instantly which string they mean.

The six strings in standard tuning are, from thickest (lowest pitch) to thinnest (highest pitch): E, A, D, G, B, E. The thickest string is called the low E, and the thinnest string is the high E. They are the same note name but two octaves apart, so the high E vibrates at four times the frequency of the low E.

The numbering system counts from the thinnest string to the thickest. The 1st string is the high E (thinnest), the 2nd string is B, the 3rd is G, the 4th is D, the 5th is A, and the 6th string is the low E (thickest). This can feel counterintuitive at first because the "1st" string is actually at the bottom when you look down at the guitar in playing position.

Both naming systems (letter names and numbers) are used constantly in guitar instruction. Tablature uses string numbers, while music theory discussions tend to use letter names. You need to be fluent in both. The good news is that with daily practice, this becomes automatic within the first week or two.

         Thickest                              Thinnest
         ────────                              ────────
String:  6th     5th     4th     3rd    2nd    1st
Note:    E       A       D       G      B      E
Name:    Low E   A       D       G      B      High E
Pitch:   Lowest ─────────────────────────────► Highest

When looking down at the guitar in playing position:
  6th string (low E)  = closest to the ceiling
  1st string (high E) = closest to the floor

2 Easy Mnemonics to Remember EADGBE

Mnemonics (memory aids) are the fastest way to memorize the string names. A good mnemonic creates a vivid, memorable phrase where the first letter of each word corresponds to a string name. Here are the most popular ones, listed from the 6th string (E) to the 1st string (E).

The classic mnemonic is "Eddie Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddie". It is silly, easy to visualize, and has been used by guitar teachers for decades. Another popular option is "Every Amateur Does Get Better Eventually", which has the added benefit of being encouraging for beginners. For younger learners, "Elephants And Donkeys Grow Big Ears" is a fun one that sticks well.

You can also make up your own mnemonic. The more personal and absurd the phrase, the more likely you are to remember it. One student came up with "Eat All Day Get Big Easy" and never forgot it. The key is to pick one mnemonic and stick with it until the string names are permanently stored in your long-term memory.

Practice reinforcing your mnemonic by saying the string names out loud every time you tune your guitar. As you pluck each string, say its name: "E, A, D, G, B, E." Within a week of daily practice, you will not need the mnemonic anymore. You can also quiz yourself by pointing to random strings and naming them as fast as possible. Speed comes with repetition.

3 Why the Numbering Feels Backwards

New guitarists almost universally find the string numbering system confusing. When you hold a guitar in playing position and look down, the thickest string (6th) is at the top and the thinnest string (1st) is at the bottom. Your instinct says the top one should be #1, but it is actually #6. Why?

The numbering system comes from the musical tradition of numbering voices from the highest pitch downward. In choral music, the soprano (highest voice) is the 1st part, and the bass (lowest voice) is the last. Guitar strings follow the same convention: the highest-pitched string is #1. This makes logical sense from a musical perspective, even if it feels backwards from a visual perspective.

Additionally, when you read guitar tablature, the 1st string is represented by the top line of the tab, and the 6th string is the bottom line. This mirrors the visual layout when you tilt the guitar fretboard to face you. Tablature is essentially a picture of the strings as seen from the player's viewing angle, with high E at the top and low E at the bottom.

The best advice is to simply accept the convention and practice it until it becomes natural. Trying to come up with a "better" system will only confuse you when reading lessons, tabs, and chord diagrams that all use the standard numbering. Within a few weeks of regular playing and tab-reading, the numbering stops feeling backwards and just feels correct.

4 String Gauges Explained

String gauge refers to the thickness of a guitar string, measured in thousandths of an inch. When guitarists say they play "10s," they mean a set where the thinnest string is 0.010 inches in diameter. The gauge of your strings significantly affects both the feel and the sound of your guitar.

String sets are identified by the gauge of the 1st string (high E). Common electric guitar gauges are 0.009 (extra light), 0.010 (light), and 0.011 (medium). Acoustic guitar strings are generally heavier, with 0.012 (light) and 0.013 (medium) being standard. A complete set lists all six string gauges, such as 10-13-17-26-36-46 for a standard light electric set.

Lighter gauges are easier to press down and bend, making them popular with beginners and lead players. The tradeoff is less volume and a thinner tone. Heavier gauges require more finger strength but produce a louder, fuller, and more resonant tone. They also stay in tune better because the higher tension keeps the strings more stable.

For beginners, start with the lightest gauge that is standard for your guitar type: 0.009 for electric, 0.011 or 0.012 for acoustic. As your finger strength develops over the first few months, you can experiment with heavier gauges. Do not feel pressured to play heavy strings just because someone tells you they "sound better." The best strings are the ones that let you play comfortably and enjoy practicing.

5 Wound Strings vs Plain Strings

If you look closely at your guitar strings, you will notice that the thicker strings have a visible spiral wrap around them, while the thinner strings are smooth and plain. This is the difference between wound strings and plain strings, and understanding why they are different helps you appreciate how your guitar produces its range of tones.

On a standard set of electric guitar strings, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings are plain (unwound) steel wire. The 4th, 5th, and 6th strings are wound, meaning they have a thin wire wrap (usually nickel-plated steel for electrics) spiraled tightly around a steel core. On acoustic guitar strings, the same division applies, but the wound strings use bronze or phosphor bronze wrapping.

The reason for winding is physics. To produce lower pitches at a playable tension, a string needs to be heavier. But a solid steel wire thick enough to produce a low E note would be extremely stiff and impossible to fret comfortably. Winding a thinner wire around a core adds mass without adding stiffness, allowing the string to vibrate at a low frequency while remaining flexible enough to play.

Some players prefer a wound 3rd string instead of a plain one, and some string sets are available with this option. A wound G string has a warmer, less bright tone and transitions more smoothly between the wound and plain sets. A plain G string is brighter and easier to bend. Most electric players prefer a plain 3rd, while most acoustic players use a wound 3rd. This is a personal preference, and you should try both once you are comfortable enough to experiment with different string sets.

6 When and How to Change Your Strings

Guitar strings do not last forever. Over time, the oils and acids from your fingers corrode the metal, and the strings lose their brightness and ability to hold intonation. Knowing when to change strings and how to do it properly is a basic maintenance skill that every guitarist should learn early.

As a general rule, change your strings every 1-3 months for casual players or every 1-2 weeks if you play daily or perform. Signs that your strings need changing include: dull or muddy tone, visible discoloration or rust, difficulty staying in tune, rough texture under your fingers, and a loss of brightness and sustain. Fresh strings make a dramatic difference in how your guitar sounds and feels.

When changing strings, it is best practice to change one string at a time rather than removing all six at once. This maintains tension on the neck and keeps the bridge pins (on acoustics) and springs (on electric tremolo systems) in their proper positions. Remove the old string, clean the fretboard where it was exposed, thread the new string, and tune it up before moving on to the next one.

• Loosen the old string by turning the tuning machine until the string is slack
• Remove the string from the tuning post and bridge
• Clean the exposed fretboard with a soft cloth (use lemon oil on rosewood, not on maple)
• Thread the new string through the bridge and up to the tuning post
• Wind neatly with 2-3 wraps going downward on the post
• Stretch and tune - pull gently, retune, repeat 3-4 times
• Trim excess string length at the tuning post with wire cutters

After stringing, your guitar will need frequent retuning for the first day or two as the new strings stretch and settle. This is completely normal. Pre-stretching the strings (gently pulling each one away from the fretboard) speeds up this process considerably. For a full guide on keeping your guitar in tune, see our tuning guide.